Railway-rail construction.



PATENTED FEB. 17, 1903.

J. F. JOHNSTON. RAILWAY RAIL GONSTRUGTION.

APPLIUATIOIi FILED 001222, 1902.

H0 MODEL mxifwssxs'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

or ONE-HALF To OLIVER H. VANIA.

BURGHAM, OF PARNASSUS, PENNSYL- RAILWAY-RAIL ooNsT uoTiom,

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 720,813, dated February 17, 1903.

Application filed October 22, 1902 Serial No. 128,343. {No model) This invention relates to an improved rail-' Way-rail connection; and it consists in the certain details of construction and combination of parts, as will be f ully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is I 5 a perspective view of one end of a railwayrail formed in such manner as to connect with my improved splice-bar, the other end of the said rail being formed in the same manner. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the splicebar. Fig. 3 is a reduced side elevation of the rails connected together, the splice beingcon structed and arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. I is an inverted plan view of the same.

To construct a railway-rail connection in accordance with my invention, I remove from the web of the same beneath the tread l a rectangular piece, leaving the cut perpendicular. A portion of the flanges 3 of the rail is also 0 removed with the above-mentioned cut, the said out extending rearward a short distance beyond the web 2, leaving the same projecting a short distance forward. I now provide a splice-bar consisting of the body portion 5, 5 having flanges 7, corresponding to those, 3, of

the rail. Formed at each end of this splicebar are vertical slots 6, of a width equal to the thickness of the web 2 of the rail, the said slots extending from the top of the bar to the to base of the same. Bolt-openings S are formed transversely through the splice at either end and register with similar openings 4, formed in the Web of the rails.

In operation the ends of the rails are formed as above described, the web 2 entering the slots 6 and the tread 1 upon the top of the splice and bolts arranged through the openings 8 in a manner well known in the art.

It will be seen that by the construction above described a strong, durable, and efficient connection is formed, and if it is desired the bolts above mentioned may be dispensed with, as they are not absolutely necessary.

It is obvious that various slight modifications and changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore I do not confine myself to the exact construction shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is v t A device of the type set forth comprising a rail, a portion of the web thereof being cut away beneath the tread of the rail, flanges on said rail, said flanges being cut away rearwardly from the cut-out portion of the Web,

leaving said web projecting forwardly, and

a splice-bar, outwardly-extending flanges formed integral therewith, and vertical recesses form ed in the ends of the splice-bar and extending therethrough, said recesses being of a width equal to the thickness of the Web of the rail, and adapted to seat the forwardlyprojecting portion thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof- I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN FRANK JOHNSTON.

In presence of- HARRY G. WALLEY, 0. H. BURGHAM. 

